2026 Subaru Forester MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2026 Subaru Forester gets up to 29 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 35 mpg as a hybrid, across 4 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2026 Subaru Forester · 4 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

29MPG combined

26 city 33 highway

$2,150 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT

Best hybrid version

35MPG combined

35 city 34 highway

$1,800 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT

Best version saves $2,000 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.00 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Nov 12, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,800 to $2,400 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2025.

Too new to rank against other Forester years

The 2026 Forester has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.

Years to avoid: 2019 and 2020; best years: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Forester year ranked The 2026 Forester's recalls and problems

Every 2026 Forester version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Forester Hybrid AWD	35 mpg	35 / 34	$1,800
Gas
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT EPA listing: Forester AWD	29 mpg	26 / 33	$2,150
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT · Sport Touring EPA listing: Forester Sport/Touring AWD	28 mpg	25 / 32	$2,200
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT · Wilderness EPA listing: Forester Wilderness AWD	26 mpg	24 / 28	$2,400

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.00 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT	$1,714	$143	$8,571
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT	$2,069	$172	$10,345
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT · Sport Touring	$2,143	$179	$10,714
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT · Wilderness	$2,308	$192	$11,538

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Subaru Forester MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 22 to 29 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 29 since 2019. Hybrid: 35 mpg (2025 to 2026).

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2026: gas 29 mpg · hybrid 35 mpg

Show as a table

Subaru Forester best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	22	–
2011	23	–
2012	23	–
2013	23	–
2014	27	–
2015	27	–
2016	27	–
2017	28	–
2018	28	–
2019	29	–
2020	29	–
2021	29	–
2022	29	–
2023	29	–
2024	29	–
2025	29	35
2026	29	35

Every Forester year's ratings in one table

How the 2026 Forester compares

2026 compact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2026 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota RAV4 Best: hybrid	43 mpg	–	$1,450
Kia Sportage Best: hybrid	42 mpg	28 mpg	$1,500
Honda CR-V Best: hybrid	40 mpg	30 mpg	$1,550
Ford Escape Best: hybrid	39 mpg	30 mpg	$1,600
Hyundai Tucson Best: hybrid	38 mpg	28 mpg	$1,650
Mazda CX-50 Best: hybrid	38 mpg	26 mpg	$1,650
Jeep Cherokee Best: hybrid	37 mpg	–	$1,700
Subaru Forester This page Best: hybrid	35 mpg	29 mpg	$1,800
Nissan Rogue Best: gas	32 mpg	32 mpg	$1,950
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,150
Chevrolet Equinox Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Subaru Outback Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Ford Bronco Sport Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
GMC Terrain Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Mazda CX-5 Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Jeep Compass Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400

2026 Forester recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 35 owner complaints for the 2026 Forester.

Most-reported area: electrical system (9 complaints, 26%). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars for the versions it has rated.

See the 2026 Forester recalls and problems

Questions

How much fuel does the 2026 Forester hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.00 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,800 a year to fuel against $2,150 for the gas model: $350 a year, or $1,750 over five years.

Does the 2026 Subaru Forester need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2026 Subaru Forester version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2026 Forester's MPG compare with the 2025?

For 2026, the best gas version is rated 29 mpg, the same as the year before and the best hybrid version is rated 35 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.00, midgrade $4.61, premium $5.01, diesel $6.13 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.